Value Village ／ Food & living
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Raw egg over hot rice (tamago-kake-gohan), beaten raw egg as a dip for sukiyaki, a raw egg dropped on udon (tsukimi udon). Eating raw egg is an established part of Japanese food culture, while in many other countries "raw eggs are dangerous" is common sense. Here we explain why raw egg works in Japan, and the conditions you still need to keep.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Main risk | Salmonella (especially Salmonella Enteritidis). Present on the shell surface and, rarely, inside the egg |
| On the farm | Vaccination of laying hens, hygiene management of the henhouse, rodent control |
| GP centre (grading and packing plant) | Washing and sanitising (sodium hypochlorite, etc.), inspection (removal of cracked and blood-spotted eggs), packing. The 1998 revision of the Food Sanitation Act made egg labelling compulsory (best-before date, storage method, warning on raw consumption) |
| How the best-before date is set | It is "the date by which the egg can be eaten raw". Based on theoretical values, by temperature, for the number of days before Salmonella starts to multiply (16 days in summer, 25 days in spring and autumn, 57 days in winter), most are set at about 2 weeks after packing |
| Storage | Refrigerate at 10°C or below. Inside the fridge, not in the door (smaller temperature swings). Pointed end down |
| After the best-before date | Cook (centre at 70°C for at least 1 minute, or until yolk and white are firm) before eating. Do not eat raw |
| Once cracked | Eat straight away. Wari-oki (leaving beaten egg at room temperature) is strictly out. Do not touch other food with hands that have touched the shell |
[Verify] The theoretical best-before values (16 days in summer, etc.) are based on figures given by the Japan Egg Producers Association; update the Salmonella outbreak count to the latest year of the MHLW food-poisoning statistics.
The system lowers the risk a great deal, but not to zero. It works only when all the conditions are met: within the best-before date, no cracks, refrigerated, eaten straight away.
The best-before date on Japanese eggs is set as "the date by which the egg can safely be eaten raw". After it, cook before eating.
Once the egg is cracked, bacteria from the shell get inside and multiply rapidly at room temperature. Wari-oki is a classic cause of food poisoning. Crack just before use.
Eggs abroad are often not distributed on the assumption of raw consumption. It is safer to avoid it.
MHLW advises against raw egg for children under 2. Start with cooked egg dishes.
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https://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/syokuchu/
https://www.nichirankyo.or.jp/
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.
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